Instep-support.



w. H. Hmmm. lNsTEP SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILEDI ALLG.2,1| 1.9\13.

. Patented n1@5f18,1915.

WILLIAM H. HORN, Je., or PHILAnnLPnIm rnNrfeYLvaNIA, Assiettes.

HORN & BRoT'HnIe'or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A conronATIoN or PENN- SYLVANIA.

INSTEPSUPPORT.-

Specification of Letters vPatent. i

rateatea 'nay 1s, 1915.

Application filed August 2.1, i913. Serial No. 786,029.

To all whom i may crm cern:

Be it known that l, WILLIAM H. HORN, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania', have invent ed certain lmproyements in Instep-Supports, of which the follovving'is a specification.

My invention relates to structures particularly designed for application to the interior of a shoe for the purpose of locally supporting various portions of the foot, one object of the present invention being to provide a novel attachment for use in connection with an arch prop or instep 1support and particularly designed to arch of the foot.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel device of the general character above noted which may/be conveniently attached to the leather cover or sole piece of an instep support of any desired form, for the purpose of raising or supporting the metatarsal arciiof the foot'at any desired portionthereoff the construction of the device being simple, inexpensive and of such a nature as to permit of its being quickly and conveniently applied to the sole piece of an instep support at any desired' point thereof.

These objects and other advantageous ends I secure as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Y Figure l is an inverted plan of an instep support showing my invention as applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken through an instep support 'of the construction shovvn in Fig. ing my invention. j v

ln the above' drawings, l represents a. relatively stiff bridge piece o sheet metal connected by rivets 2te a sole piece Whose shape is such as to cause it to snugly fit Within the shoe. Said bridge piece 1 is curved longitudinally as Well as transversely in the Well known manner to cause it to conform to the contour of the under surface o a normal instep, andthe sole piece 3 is likewise formed to approximately the same con tour, although it preferably projects beyond the ledges of the bridge piece.

As will be understpod by those skilled in the art, the toe end i of the sole piece lies for the most part directly under the metatarsal arch ot.l the foot when the instep support is mounted .in a shoe,

' held to the support the metatarsall, further illustrat- 3 of leather including a and for the purA pose of giving local support to said arch, I attaclrto the under side of this end of the sole piece a substantially conical button or washer 5, which is usually so placed that it projects to aA greater or less extent between the end of the metal piece'l and the leather sole piece I3. Y

The button or washer itself consists of a suitably slcived leather piece (although it may be made of other material if desired) sole piece by means of an eyelet or rivet (i passing centrally through serving to fixedly hold it to said sole piece. Obviously, this metatarsal arch support may be fixed to the toe end 4 of the sole piece 3 at any desired point depending' on what particular part of the arch requires support, and it is preferably .attached to the-sole piece while the latter is in a moistened and therefore relatively pliable condition, Aafter which the whole is so formed that the Washer or button 5 is caused to bulge upwardly the part of the leather sole piece to Whichit is fixed. When the latter has dried and is ready for use, the flat base of the piece 5 is substantiallfyT flush with the under surface of the adjacent portions of the toe end of said sele piece. As a result of this formation, the generally convex upper surface o the sole piece 3 has aslightly rounded bulge or projection immediately over the meta- 'tarsal arch supporting' piece 5, as shown in Fig. 2, so that when the arch support is placed within the shoe, there is provided a localized lextra support for that particular part of the nietatarsal arch immediately over the upwardly bulged part 7 of the sole piece 3. l

Under conditions of use the previously formed, leather archsupporting pieces 5 are supplied to shoe makers and dealers, together with the necessary. eyeleting .tools so that said piecesl may be applied to ordinary instep support at Whatever points t ey may be required. lt is of course, obviou that the piece 5 as Well as the solepiece 'may be constructed of any suitable material, al though l preferably make them of leather. l claim: i. The combination of sole piece; and a metatarsal arch-supporting piece in the'form of a disk tapering center to its edges; with means passing through its center whereby it is attached to said sole piece.

it and 2.T-he combination of an arch support In testimony whereof, I have signed my including a leather sole piece; with a subname to this specication, in the presence of sta-ntially circular piece on the under side of two subscribing' Witnesses.

the front portion of said sole piece in posi- -VILLIAM H. HORN, J R. 5 tion to locally support the lnetatarsal arch; lYitnesses:

and an eyelet connecting the sole piece and W'ILLIAM E. BRADLEY,

said` circular piece. XVM. A. BARR. 

